2026 MHSAA Football Playoffs on Halloween Night Force Students and Parents to Choose Between Trick-or-Treating and the Big Game
The MHSAA is a private, not-for-profit corporation of voluntary membership by more than 1,500 public and private senior high schools and junior high/middle schools.
November 1, 2026
This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on October 27, 2026
Dawn Benmark alleges that the Michigan High School Athletic Association is really having the football teams play on Halloween, forcing seniors to choose between one last Halloween with friends and playing football.
She thinks it’s unfair to have to make parents choose between taking their kids trick-or-treating or watching another child play a playoff game.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) has announced the pairings for the 2026 Football Playoffs, which kick off on October 31 and November 1.
The playoffs begin with District Semifinals for 11-player teams and Regional Semifinals for 8-player teams. The matchups are determined by regular-season playoff points, with the higher-seeded team hosting the first-round games.
In each bracket, the top seed will host the fourth seed, and the second seed will host the third seed. The season will end with the State finals in Late November.
All playoff tickets, except for the Finals, will be sold online only via . Visit the MHSAA website for complete brackets and pairings.
Good luck to all the teams!
Halloween Night Football Playoffs Force Families to Choose
A scheduling decision by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) is creating a spooky dilemma for many students and parents this fall.
The 2026 high school football playoffs are scheduled for Friday, October 31—Halloween night.
The conflict has sparked frustration, notably from Dawn Benmark, who voiced her concerns on a local community page. She highlights the impossible choices families now face.
It’s a choice for high school seniors: one last Halloween with friends or participating in a crucial playoff game, whether as a player, cheerleader, or band member.
The dilemma extends to parents, who may now have to choose between taking younger children trick-or-treating or attending an older child’s big game.
Moreover, Benmark points out this could also mean fewer houses handing out candy, as many adults will be at the football stadium.
They really couldn’t move it to Saturday?
My opinion may be unpopular, but I just dont think its fair… to parents or kids.
The conflict hits personally for Benmark.
She and her boyfriend have organized a popular DJ event downtown for the past three years. This year, with a senior in the band, she must decide between “letting down the town, or letting down the kids.”
While the excitement of playoff football is undeniable, for some communities, the scheduling is seen as an unfair conflict, pitting cherished traditions against pivotal school spirit events.
Since the game is on Halloween, those events will need to be on the day before or after. Unfortunately, this is how it is this year. It isn’t the school’s fault that Halloween falls on a Friday. They can not be expected to change the day for that reason. It will not happen again for 7 years. 🎃🎃
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Dawn Benmark lives in Millington, Michigan, and attended Millington High School.
- She has been in a relationship with .
- She works at Mibbecakes Creations and The Cake Lady Cakery.
- Check other Articles on
Ashish Maharjan, author at Players Bio, has been covering news with a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling. A writer with a passion for capturing the essence of athletic competition.
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